Gardenia support



June 9, 1953 D. S. SHINODA GARDENIA SUPPORT Filed Nov. 13, 1946INVENTOR. 0A N] EL S. SH/NODA A T TORNE V Patented June 9, 1953 GARDENIASUPPORT Daniel Stephen Shinoda, Hayward, Calif. Application November 13,1946, Serial No. 709,645

3 Claims.

This invention relates to ornamental supports for gardenias used ascorsages, and more particularly to a novel, ornamental support for agardenia which may be preformed for attractive fixture to a gardenia ina simple and economic fashion.

At the present time, it is the practice of large nurseries and producersof gardenias utilized in the production of individual flower corsages toaffix wires to the calyx of the flower to form a corsage anchoring meanstherefor and wrap the calyx and said wires with a light-weight adhesivetape, thus enabling the same to be attached conveniently to the garmentor coiffure of a wearer.

The production of gardenias suitable for sale as corsages is limitedbecause of the amount of manual or hand labor necessary to affix thewires to the calyx and apply the tape thereto. Further, the presentpractice of preparing the corsages necessitates a great deal of handlingof the delicate blossoms and results in substantial flower spoilage.Again, the preparation of the corsage, as above described, istime-consuming, expensive, uses considerable floor space and isgenerally uneconomic.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide apreformed support for gardenias which eliminates a great deal of themanual or hand labor presently necessary in preparing the corsage formarketing and which reduces the handling of the flower bloom. A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a preformed support for gardenias,as mentioned, which not only affords support to the blossom but providesan integral anchoring means to facilitate attachment of the blossom tothe arment or coiifure of the wearer. A further object is to provide anornamental support for gardenias, of the character mentioned, which isattractive in appearance, of minimum weight and which is relativelysimple and inexpensive to manufacture and apply to the flower.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reference tothe specification and drawings in which similar characters of referencerepresent corresponding parts in the several Views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a gardenia support prior to molding into shapefor reception of the blossom.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the petal supports and calyx cup aftermolding for the reception of the blossom.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the invention in readiness for thereception of a blossom.

Fig. 4 is a section View of the invention taken on line 44 of Fig. 2 andshowing the coating of plastic material in which the support has beendipped.

Fig. 5 is a top, plan view of a modification of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the modification illustrated in Fig. 5in readiness for reception of a blossom.

The invention comprises, essentially, a blank of ductile metal, such asaluminum or tin foil which is readily yieldable to permit shapingthereof and which may be stamped from sheets of the desired metal.

Fig. 1 illustrates a plan view of a gardenia support stamped fromsuitable ductile metal, prior to molding thereof, and comprises a calyxsupport 2 which is substantially V-shaped in plan and has a series ofangular perforations'forming barbs 3 provided across the top portionthereof.

Integral with the calyx-receiving member 2 and protruding from the topthereof is a series (preferably four) of petal supports 4. Integral withthe calyx-receiving portion 2 and depending from the base portionthereof is a relatively narrow stem member 5, which may be doubled backupon itself, as at 6, in order to lend greater strength thereto. Thecalyx-receiving portion 2 may be bent into a cup-like receiving portion7 for the reception of the calyx of the flower (not shown). The foliagesupports 4 are bent at approximately right angles to the top rim of thecalyx-receiving member 2, substantially as indicated in Fig. 2.

The stem, calyx-receiving portion and petal supports may be dipped intoa suitable plastic preparation, indicated generally at It either beforeor after the forming above mentioned. The plastic which I utilize isadapted to bond the stem portion 5, calyx-receiving portion and petalsupports 4 into a more rigid structure and yet will allow for bendingand forming thereof. Any suitable plastic or rubber base compositionhaving the characteristics noted is satisfactory.

Gardenia leaves 8 are affixed to the top surfaces of foliage supports 4,as by means of staples 9 or by other suitable means. The calyx of thegardenia is then inserted into the cup-like receiving portions 1 and thebarbs 3 retain the said calyx in position relative to the foliagesupports 4. It may be desired to wrap light-weight adhesive tape aroundthe calyx-receiving portion 2 and perhaps the stem member 5 or a partthereof.

It is further noted that the plastic substance in which the support isdipped may be provided with a pigment in order to color the support asdesired. For example, the entire support may be dipped in a whiteplastic or only a part of the support such as the stem may be dipped inwhite plastic, and the calyx-receiving portion 2 and foliage supports 4may be dipped in a green colored plastic.

The modification of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6com-prises an elongated stem member [5, calyx-enclosing strips I6integral with the stem member l5 and integral with leave members l1.Barbs l8 may be provided in the portions I 6 by stamping or by othersuitable means. The leaf members ll, stem l5, and portions [6 arestamped from suitable ductile metal and the leaf members I! are formedin the shape of leaves. The integral support may be clipped in asuitable plastic substance, as mentioned in regard to the preferredembodiment, and then formed in the shape indicated generally in Fig. 6and wherein the portions [6 form a calyx-receiving cup l9 and the leafmembers I! are bent at right angles to said members It, substantially asindicated in Fig. 6. The calyx of the blossom may be inserted in thecalyx-receiving cup l9, formed by calyx-enclosing strips PB, and thebarbs l8 will grip the calyx and retain the blossom in position. Asuitable pressure sensitive adhesive. tape may be woundv around themember I 6, thereby increasing the support characteristics of thegardenia support.

The essence of this invention is the provision of a sup-port forgardenias which may be stamped from yieldable metal in mass quantity andwhich may be preformed for the reception of the gardenia flower. Themetal support may be clipped in a suitably pigmented plastic substanceprior to or subsequent to the forming of the support for reception ofthe blossom.

While I have described this invention in more or less specific detailfor purposes of clarity of description, example and illustration,v it isunderstood that many changes, variations and modifi'cations may be madewithin. the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. An ornamental support for gardenias comprising'an elongated stemmember formed of. thin ductile metal, a plurality of calyx-enclosingstrips integral with said stem member, and a plurality of memberssimulating foliage integral with said strips, at least two of saidstrips terminating in a said foliage simulating member.

2. An ornamental support for gardenias comprising an elongated stemmember formed of thin ductile metal, a plurality of yieldablecalyxenclosing strips integral with said stem member and provided withbarbs to grip the calyx of a flower, and a plurality of members adaptedto simulate foliage integral with said strip and normally disposed atsubstantially right angles thereto, at least two of said stripterminating in said. foliage. simulating members.

3. An ornamental support for gardenias formed from a blank of thinductile metal and comprising a separable calyx receiving and retainingportion having barbs adapted to grip the calyx of a flower insertedthereinto, a plurality of foliage support members integral with anddisposed at substantially right angles to the top edge of said calyxreceiving and retaining portion when a calyx is positioned in said calyxreceiving and retaining portion, said plurality of foliage supportmembers spaced laterally from one another and. being of substantiallyuniform size and shape, an elongated stem member integral with saidcalyx receiving and retaining portion and depending from the bottomthereof, and a resilient plastic covering for-said stem member and calyxreceiving and retaining portion.

. DANIEL STEPHEN SHINODA.

References Cited. in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 910,300 Magruder Jan. 19, 1909 1,026,969 Tygert May 21,1912 1,748,636 Crockett Feb. 25, 1930 1,929,317 Kelly Oct. 3, 19332,029,043 Wendell et a1 Jan. 28, 1936 2,390,858 Walker Dec. 11, 1945FOREIGN. PATENTS Number Country Date 56,919 Austria Dec. 27, 1912

